Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP)

The Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) is located at 24501 S. Figueroa Street in the City of Carson. The plant occupies approximately 420 acres to the east of the Harbor (110) Freeway. Approximately 200 of the 420 acres are used as buffer areas between the operational areas and surrounding residential neighbors. Buffer areas include the Wilmington Boys and Girls Club, a 17-acre fresh water marsh area, the Home Depot commercial complex, Kellogg Supply Inc., Color Spot nursery operations, and others.

Odor Control is a top priority at the JWPCP. If you believe odors in your neighborhood originate from the JWPCP, please contact us so that we can attempt to identify the odor and its source.

OPERATION

The JWPCP is one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the world and is the largest of the Sanitation Districts' wastewater treatment plants. The facility provides both primary and secondary treatment for approximately 260 million gallons of wastewater per day (mgd), and has a total permitted capacity of 400 mgd. For a detailed description of the wastewater inlet and plant discharge characteristics, see Plant Performance.

Solids collected in Primary Treatment and Secondary Treatment are processed in anaerobic digestion tanks where bacteria break down organic material and produce methane gas. After digestion, the solids are dewatered at Solids Processing and hauled off-site to composting, land application, and landfill disposal. Methane gas generated in the anaerobic digestion process is used to produce power and digester heating steam in a Total Energy Facility that utilizes gas turbines and waste-heat recovery steam generators. The on-site generation of electricity permits the JWPCP to produce most of its electricity.

The plant serves a population of approximately 3.5 million people throughout Los Angeles County. Prior to discharge, the treated wastewater is disinfected with sodium hypochlorite and sent to the Pacific Ocean through a network of outfalls. These outfalls extend 1-½ miles off the Palos Verdes Peninsula to a depth of 200 feet.

RECOGNITION

JWPCP Wins EPA Plant of the Year Award - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) National Clean Water Act (CWA) Recognition Awards Program highlights innovative and outstanding operations and maintenance programs at publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities. There are more than 16,000 publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants in the U.S. In 2008, the JWPCP was awarded 1st place in the Large Secondary Plant category based on demonstrated creative and outstanding operations and maintenance practices. Pollution prevention, process control and field monitoring, and biosolids management were the three main areas the Sanitation Districts provided as evidence of outstanding operations and maintenance practices at the JWPCP. Click here for additional details about the EPA's National CWA Recognition Awards Program.

JWPCP Receives "Platinum 14" Award - The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Peak PerformanceAwards program recognizes member agency facilities for outstanding compliance with their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit limits. This recognition program consists of three award categories; Platinum, Gold, and Silver. The Platinum Award is issued to facilities that achieve 100 percent compliance with NPDES permit limits for a minimum of five consecutive years. The JWPCP NPDES permit contains approximately 27,000 permit limits. In 2016, the NACWA presented the JWPCP with a Platinum 14 award in recognition of 14 consecutive years (2002-2015) of 100 percent compliance with those NPDES permit limits. Click here for further information about the NACWA's awards program.